Fresh Start Recovery

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

Please note, this week’s Gratitude celebration is taking place on Thursday instead of Friday.

If you would like to join online, please email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca for the link.

This Thursday, we come together to recognize a group of individuals completing the first phase of treatment at Fresh Start Recovery.

Finding solid ground.
Moving forward together.
Still doing the work.

That is what this moment is about.

People doing the work, standing together, and taking the next step forward.

Recovery asks a lot from people. Honesty. Accountability. Patience. The willingness to keep going when things feel uncomfortable. Reaching this point matters because the work behind it is real.

What stands out in this photo is community. Different stories, different backgrounds, different experiences, all standing together for a moment of reflection before continuing forward.

Recovery does not stop when treatment ends. It continues through community, connection, Recovery-Oriented Housing, outreach support, alumni involvement, families healing together, and people continuing to stay connected long after treatment.

To the staff, alumni, families, and supporters who continue walking beside people in recovery, thank you. This community continues to matter because people keep showing up for one another.

And to this group, congratulations on reaching this phase of recovery. Be proud of the ground you’ve covered and keep moving forward together.

Recovery continues here.

05/20/2026

Stay Connected.

Step & Topic Meeting tomorrow evening at Fresh Start Recovery.

Wednesday, May 20
6:30 PM
Calgary, Lethbridge, and Online

Step Six
“Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

Belief Six
“We believe that each of us will, from time to time, be confronted with challenges and obstacles. Whether asked or not, the Fresh Start Alumni will always be there to ensure that no member need ever face difficulties alone.”

Topic
Willingness

Willingness is not always loud.

Sometimes it looks like showing up when things feel heavy.
Sometimes it is asking for help.
Sometimes it is staying connected instead of disappearing.

Step Six reminds us that recovery is not built alone. Growth often begins when we become willing to let others walk beside us through the challenges, setbacks, and changes that come with life.

That connection matters long after treatment.

Recovery continues in community, in conversation, and in the willingness to keep moving forward together, even on difficult days.

If you are joining online, email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca for the link.

If you are in Recovery-Oriented Housing and cannot attend in person, please connect with your Outreach Support Worker.

We’ll see you there.

05/15/2026

Today in Calgary, we gathered for Gratitude and celebrated a group continuing forward into life after treatment.

What stood out just as much as the group itself was the community around them.

Families filled the room. Others joined online from different places and different stages of life. One family member drove more than 1,600 kilometres from Northern Canada just to be there for her nephew today. That kind of love, support, and commitment says a lot about what recovery really touches.

Recovery does not only impact the individual. It reaches parents, children, siblings, partners, friends, and entire families who have carried fear, hope, exhaustion, and belief all at once.

Today was a reminder that life after treatment matters. Staying connected matters. Recovery-Oriented Housing matters. Community matters.
The work does not stop when treatment ends. In many ways, this is where recovery continues to take shape in everyday life, through continued support, stable housing, connection, accountability, and people beside you who genuinely want to see you succeed.

To the families, alumni, staff, supporters, and everyone who continues showing up for one another, thank you.

Together, Without End.

LifeAfterTreatment

05/15/2026

Most people think recovery ends when treatment ends.

In reality, what happens after treatment is often where recovery either holds or starts to come apart.

Recovery-Oriented Housing is often misunderstood. People hear “housing” and think it is simply a place to stay after treatment. It is more than that.

It is community, accountability, and learning how to live differently while still connected to recovery.

Someone can leave treatment feeling ready, then return to the same environment, the same pressures, and the same isolation that did not work before. When structure changes, familiar environments return, and connection starts to fade, the risk becomes very real.

Recovery-Oriented Housing helps bridge that gap. It creates a place where people can continue building stability, responsibility, connection, and routine while taking real steps forward in life.

This is not separate from recovery.

It is recovery.

We have been part of this work for a long time, and we know these spaces only exist because people, partners, and donors continue to stand with recovery and help build community around long-term recovery.

Read more:

freshstartrecovery.ca/recovery-oriented-housing-alberta/

Recovery-oriented housing in Alberta bridges the gap after treatment. Fresh Start Recovery builds extended recovery communities in Calgary and Lethbridge.

05/12/2026

This Friday in Calgary, we come together for Gratitude.

A group standing together beside moving water and solid ground. Both feel fitting somehow.

Recovery asks people to keep moving forward while learning how to stay grounded at the same time.

That’s what you see here. People who kept showing up, kept doing the work, and now stand together as they move into what comes next.

Gratitude gives us a chance to recognize that. To pause long enough to see the work, the connection, and the community still around it.

This is where life after treatment continues to take shape. Not away from recovery, but through it, with people beside you who understand what it took to get here.

Together, Without End.

Join us this Friday at 1:15 PM in Calgary.

Join in person in Calgary or Lethbridge, or online. Email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca for the link.

This is recovery.

05/12/2026

A generous community donor stepped forward quietly to support our next 50/50 Early Bird Draw.

No recognition requested.
No spotlight needed.
Just someone choosing to give back because they believe recovery matters.

Our 3rd 50/50 Early Bird Draw takes place on May 15.

Purchase your 50/50 tickets before midnight on Thursday, May 14, and you’ll be entered to win a $500 Prepaid VISA Card.

Every 50/50 ticket purchased stays in for the Grand Prize Draw on August 15, 2026, where one winner will take home 50% of total ticket sales.

The motorcycle raffle is also underway, featuring:
• A custom Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST
• A Yamaha R1M
• Motorcycle early bird cash draws

Motorcycle raffle tickets and 50/50 tickets are separate purchases, but both support Fresh Start Recovery and the work happening across Alberta.

The 2026 12 Stop Ride for Recovery is proudly presented by Grover Law Firm, with Community Champion support from Cochrane Toyota, Calgary Harley-Davidson, and YourAlberta (Government of Alberta).

50/50 Ticket Prices:
1 for $5
3 for $10
10 for $20
35 for $50
75 for $100

Get tickets at: www.freshstartraffle.com

AGLC Licence #762028 Motorcycle Raffle Licence #762026

05/11/2026

Lethbridge is hosting this week’s Speaker Meeting as Alumni David W. shares their story.

Wednesday at 6:30 PM
Fresh Start Recovery – Lethbridge
Also available in Calgary and online

There is something important about hearing someone speak honestly about where they have been, what changed, and what life looks like now. Not polished. Not perfect. Real.

That is what these nights are about.

Recovery does not stop when treatment ends. Through Alumni connection, Outreach, and Recovery-Oriented Housing, it continues to take shape in community.

These evenings remind us that recovery is not meant to be done alone. People stay connected. People keep showing up. People continue building a life alongside others who understand the work.

Whether you are early in recovery, years into it, supporting someone you care about, or simply looking to stay connected, there is a place for you here.

Join us in Lethbridge, Calgary, or online.
Email Rene@freshstartrecovery.ca for the link.

Together, Without End.

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day.

Today, we honour mothers in all the ways motherhood can look.

The mothers who were always there. The mothers trying to rebuild relationships. The mothers carrying guilt. The mothers carrying pride. The mothers in recovery themselves. The mothers supporting someone in recovery. The mothers still healing. The mothers who kept loving the best they could with what they had at the time.

Motherhood is not simple. It can hold love, worry, grief, hope, fear, repair, and forgiveness all at once.

We see that. We honour that.

And to the mothers, fathers, partners, siblings, and friends who are loving someone through addiction or recovery right now, we also want to say this: your healing matters too.

When you love someone through addiction, it can become easy to focus everything on them. Their safety. Their choices. Their recovery. Their next step. Somewhere in that, families and friends can lose sight of their own pain, their own needs, and their own healing.

Fresh Start Recovery is relaunching our updated Family and Friends Healing Initiative this week.

This four-week group is built for the people standing beside recovery. You do not need to have a loved one at Fresh Start to join. You just need to be someone looking for support, understanding, and connection.

Over four weeks, participants will explore how addiction affects the brain and the family system, how to set healthy boundaries, how to move through grief, fear, anger, and exhaustion, and how to care for yourself while continuing to care about someone else.

This is not a program about fixing anyone.

It is a space for healing, learning, and realizing you are not alone.

The first group begins Thursday, May 14 and runs through June 11.

Available in person and online.
Space is still available.

familyandfriends@freshstartrecovery.ca

https://freshstartrecovery.ca/family-and-friends/

05/10/2026

Today was another reminder of the kind of impact Grover Law Firm continues to make in our community.

We were grateful to spend part of Mother’s Day weekend at their Bonanza at Big Sky BBQ, alongside families and community members coming together. Earlier in the day, we also had the opportunity to attend the movie premiere they helped champion.

And in just a few weeks, Grover Law will continue that same support as a sponsor of 2 Wheel Sunday on June 7, make sure to check them out at their booth and learn about Winston’s Club and the important work they do for injured riders. We will be right next door.

That is still only scratching the surface.

What stands out about Grover Law is not just one event, one sponsorship, or one campaign. It’s the consistency. The way they continue to show up across Calgary, Alberta, and Canada for people, families, riders, and communities.

At Fresh Start Recovery, we know that firsthand.

As the Grand Sponsor of Fresh Start Recovery’s 18th Annual 12-Stop Charity Ride for Recovery on August 15, and the sponsor behind both of this year’s raffle motorcycles, their support goes far beyond branding. It helps create connection, visibility, opportunity, and hope for people rebuilding their lives in recovery.

We are also grateful for the continued support of our 12-Stop Ride Community Champions: Cochrane Toyota, Calgary Harley-Davidson, and YourAlberta (Government of Alberta).

Community is built through continued action.

Showing up.
Standing beside people.
Investing in something bigger than yourself.

Grover Law continues to do that.

Learn more about their work at groverlawfirm.com.

Together, Without End.

05/09/2026

Yesterday in Lethbridge, we had the privilege of recognizing another group celebrating Gratitude.

Different people.
Different histories.
Different challenges overcome to get to that room.

And still, there they were together.

Not standing there because life suddenly became easy, but because they kept going. Because they stayed connected long enough for something to begin changing.

That’s the part worth recognizing.

The courage it takes to keep showing up.
To stay open.
To keep rebuilding relationships, routines, trust, and purpose one day at a time.

You could feel the community in the room yesterday. Not forced. Not polished. Just real people supporting each other and reminding one another they are not alone anymore.

That is where life after treatment begins to take shape.

To the group we celebrated yesterday, we are proud of you. Keep going.

Together, Without End.